Tips for on-page optimisation

On-page optimisation can often be the first steps in building out your SEO once you have your keyword strategy defined and your keyword map built.

Your keyword map will already have identified the three keywords or phrase for each page on your website. Now turn your attention to ensuring each page oozes those keywords so that search engines know when to present those pages in a search result.

The classic on-page optimisation included ensuring your keywords were in the page URL, the page title, the meta description tag, in the H1 heading and throughout the content of the page.

However, Google responded by looking at what it considered natural language usage patterns – how people really use search engines to find what they are looking a for, such as typing in questions or long tail phrases.

So, on-page optimisation has changed. Rather than using the same keyword or phrase consistently throughout the content, you need to identify related keywords that make up a variety of long tail search terms. For example, instead of using keywords such as CRM, CRM integration and CRM strategy in the page title, you might try to create a page title that includes a variation such as CRM strategy: how to integrate CRM.

The key is to make the keywords or phrases you use sound natural while covering a variety of keyword options. Try writing the content first then going back and adding the variations such as plurals of the keyword, alternate the keyword order, use synonyms and acronyms and include modifiers such as ‘how to’.

Combine this use of keywords with writing content that is easy to read. Use short paragraphs, bulleted lists, include subheadings and add dynamic links to other pages on your website. And keep refreshing these links with new content.

Use your web analytics to see how popular your pages are and which pages are the most popular. Learn from these pages and apply the concepts to your other pages.

About Leigh Hopwood

Strategic Marketing Consultant | Chartered Marketer | Specialist in B2B Technology and Services Marketing. I can help your technology or services business be heard and grow. Email me on leigh@reddmarketing.co.uk.